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Ever Have Your Plow Come Off?

Have you guys ever had your plow come off during plowing because you forgot to latch something down or some other reason? Being this is the first year that our company is doing snow removal, it's one of the things that we should be careful of. And also that we hope we dont run over it either if it does

I've heard of guys driving over their plows, but only because they hooked on to something while plowing like an ape. Most of the plows I've seen (I have boss) are farely simple to attach so as long as you don't get in to too big of a hurry you shouldn't have to looking for your blade along side the highway.

Have you guys ever had your plow come off during plowing because you forgot to latch something down or some other reason? Being this is the first year that our company is doing snow removal, it's one of the things that we should be careful of. And also that we hope we dont run over it either if it does

Thanks!

Jason

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Every company should have a before use, pre- inspection list for the operator/driver. Never assume equipment is ready to operate. Never trust your memory. Once you have done a pre-inspection a few times it can be done rather quickly. This time wasted will be returned many times over from the absence of accidents, injuries, and down time.

I've seen a guys western bounce up so high that the chain came unhooked and it slammed to the ground, right in front of me. My western does bounce up like that once in a while, but I make sure I slow down for big bumps like that

with a blizzard 810, if you forget to put in both pins and then have the hydraulics fail, then the plow would fall off.
if this ever happens it probably wouldn't matter seeing that if your that stupid you probably screwed your truck up so bad already that you cant even plow with it anyways.
better yet, if your that stupid, you probably already accidentally killed yourself some how.

It is not a question of being stupid. Intelligent people have accidents too, mainly because they trusted their intelligence and did not check their equipment before operating. All us smart people do stupid things,at least I still do. One of them is not trusting my memory.

This is going to sound stupid but I have a method to connecting my plow and trailer. I connect everything, go sit in the truck for a few seconds, then get out and re-check everything. For some reason walking away and coming back allows my memory to clear so to speak so I don't accidentally recall doing something I didn't do.

This is going to sound stupid but I have a method to connecting my plow and trailer. I connect everything, go sit in the truck for a few seconds, then get out and re-check everything. For some reason walking away and coming back allows my memory to clear so to speak so I don't accidentally recall doing something I didn't do.

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That is a good technique. Just have to get used to the extra time it takes.

This is going to sound stupid but I have a method to connecting my plow and trailer. I connect everything, go sit in the truck for a few seconds, then get out and re-check everything. For some reason walking away and coming back allows my memory to clear so to speak so I don't accidentally recall doing something I didn't do.

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Doesn't sound as stupid as running over your plow! The truck and plow are usually pretty big investments, IMO one can never be too careful about making sure everything is in safe working order.

This is going to sound stupid but I have a method to connecting my plow and trailer. I connect everything, go sit in the truck for a few seconds, then get out and re-check everything. For some reason walking away and coming back allows my memory to clear so to speak so I don't accidentally recall doing something I didn't do.

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I do the SAME THING! After having a trailer jump up on me once, I always do that. After I hook stuff up in a hurry i always get in the truck and try to remember if i did everything. The other thing i did was run a lock through the hole on the latch for my trailer. That way it takes a bit longer and i am prolly gonna remember if I latched it or not! I'm kinda slow sometimes!

the good tip is this. dont' let too many people help you hook up. i usually can drive into the plow first try. sometimes i have to try again but i've gotton pretty good at it. well today i was just hooking the plow up to move it and my friend decided to spot me. well i guess i wasn't quiet on so he dragged one side of the plow closer to the truck and told me to pull forward. so i drove in and he signaled good and latched it. plugged it in and then i went to move it and the passenger side pin wasn't in. so it fell off to one side. i had to get the floor jack out from teh shop and hope nothing got bent. luckly enough nothing got damaged.

so next time i need to make sure i check to make sure its latched and not realy on someone else.

It's also a good idea to get out in the middle of your shift/route and look things over. I lost a stand pin and wound up bending the stand a bit before I noticed it. If the clip on a stand pin can come off, I'm sure the clips on the plow pins could too. If I remember right this happened due to a crust of ice on top of the snow. I spotted another problem one night by checking things mid route, a slight leak near one of the cylinder fittings. That turned out to be a hose about to go. Do a mid route check too, you got to get out and stretch your legs anyway, right?

I lost one of my keeper pins on my main 1" pins on my western last snowfall and the main pin was almost gone for good>
I got out and checked it over because the plow light was a little lower on one side. Good thing I did it when I did.

See, there you go. I think most folks would notice, as you did, if the plow pin came loose and you were about to lose your plow and run over it. Plow markers or lights appear out of place?...something should give a clue that there's trouble about to happen.
Jason, just try and train your guys to do inspections, even quick visual checks throughout the shift. Have them walk around the truck and check lights, the plow, tires, etc. At the very least you'll prevent a possible ticket for faulty epuipment. As a semi driver it got to be common practice for me to walk all the way around the truck before getting back into it after a stop. You never know when someone may have left something sitting on the blind side.

I lost one of my keeper pins on my main 1" pins on my western last snowfall and the main pin was almost gone for good.

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I have had to walk back down the road kicking in the snow to find mine. When the pin comes out the plow swings way around to the side so it becomes very obvious that something is wrong. Not sure why the keepers on the pins fall out but they do. I think it may happen when stacking big piles and the snow is pushing up into the A-frame. I just replaced a keeper today that was bent around like a horseshoe. Not sure what happened to that one.

I have an old style Fisher, and I have bounced the chain out of the hook a few times, and lost a pin once. My problem is usually in unhooking. Six things to undo, two pins, two hoses, lift chain, safety chain, and I'm half asleep, back up and there's the plow following me accross the lot. Some times I think the pins can trip and pin themselves again if the truck doesn't come away from the plow squarely.

i was plowing a good size parking lot and noticed my plow moving more than usual. so i got out and the drivers pin had come out. not sure now, maybe i didnt lock it in all the way. not sure what it bent but i think it did some damage. either the under carraige or the tower got bent.

I used to lose a pin and main pin on my old Western conventional once in a while. I solved that problem by drilling out the hole in the big pin and using
"lynch pins" with the locking ring in place of the small pins.......

My ultra mount has never come un-hooked (knock on wood) !

One of the fellas here (that shall be nameless...unless he fesses up !)
with a Western uni mount V lost a pin and the plow came back and smashed in the hood on his new truck !
He uses the lock pins too now !...........geo

Its smart to inspect your rig before, during, and after every plow event !